


A Summer's Fall

by tylermr14



Series: modern post-seine [1]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon Divergence, FTM Javert, M/M, Modern AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Seine, Romani Character, Romani Javert, Suicide Attempt, Trans Javert, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-05 16:31:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11581884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tylermr14/pseuds/tylermr14
Summary: On a summer night in Paris, a police officer stood on the Pont au Change, staring into the waters of the Seine. The officer, Inspector Javert, slowly began to step onto the railing of the bridge. He had come to the decision that there was only one solution to the dilemma he was facing. Unable to reconcile with his situation, there was, he believed, no other choice.From the other side of the bridge, a man watched the inspector, unaware what had driven Javert to this. The man was one known well to Javert: Jean Valjean.





	1. Chapter 1

     On a summer night in Paris, a police officer stood on the Pont au Change, staring into the waters of the Seine. The officer, Inspector Javert, slowly began to step onto the railing of the bridge. He had come to the decision that there was only one solution to the dilemma he was facing. Unable to reconcile with his situation, there was, he believed, no other choice.  
  
     From the other side of the bridge, a man watched the inspector, unaware what had driven Javert to this. The man was one known well to Javert: Jean Valjean. Jean Valjean was unaware that it was he himself that had driven the other man to such a drastic act. Regardless, he knew he could not stand aside and allow another man to take his own life without even attempting to stop him. So, he stepped forward, to cross the bridge and come to Javert’s side, to talk him down.

     But, as he was approaching, the inspector leaned forward, and let himself fall.

     Valjean watched in horror. What did he do? What does one do when you see a man plunge himself into a river?

     Follow suit and retrieve him, of course.

 

     When Javert woke, he was in an unfamiliar place, and was confused as to how he had come to be in a bed he did not recognize as his own. He was quite cold, he quickly realized, and soaked to the bone. _Why- oh_ , he thought, recalling what he had resolved to do on the bridge. _I should be dead, then. Why aren’t I dead?_

     “Ah!” Javert heard a voice- a familiar voice- exclaim. “You’re awake! Good.”

     Javert slowly sat up and looked at the man who had spoken. “Valjean?!”

     “ _Monsieur l’inspecteur_ ,” Valjean said calmly.

     "Where the hell am I?!” he demanded. “What are you doing here?!”

     “You’re in my house,” the older man answered.

     “Why?!”

     “I saw you jump, from the bridge, and I went in after you. I pulled you out of the river and brought you here,” he explained.

     “Why would you do that?!” The convict had once again robbed Javert of what he believed to be a deserved death, and he was indignant. “Why would you risk your life to save me?! Me, of all people!” Valjean opened his mouth to respond, but Javert did not give him a moment to do so. “Christ, Valjean, why can’t you just let me die?!”

     “Javert, I couldn’t stand aside and let you take your own life. Who you are, our history, has no bearing on that.”

     Javert shook his head. “I should be floating in the Seine right now! I should be dead! But no, you and your stupid kind heart had to jump in and save me! How dare you rob me of a deserved death, for the second time?!” Valjean stared at him; he didn’t know what to say. Javert continued. “Why would you do that?! What do you want from me, to indebt me to you like that?!”

     Valjean shook his head. “I don’t want anything from you, other than for you to live.” He didn’t quite understand Javert’s issue with his actions. “There are no debts.”

     “Why- how can you-?!” Javert’s voice caught in his throat. “I do not understand you. Valjean, how can you, after everything I’ve done, treat me with such kindness? I don’t deserve it.”

     He frowned. “Of course you do. You aren’t a bad person.”

     “How can you say that?!” he shouted. “How are you so forgiving, and so- good?” He shook his head. “I don’t understand it! You’re a criminal, and yet, you’re a good person. You could have killed me! You had every right; Lord knows I’ve made you suffer! But you let me go and I- damn it, Valjean, you…” Javert had begun to sob. The unwavering, unflinching inspector, who had not shed a tear since childhood, brought to heavy tears and blubbering by one Jean Valjean.

     Valjean was surprised, to say the least, to see this formerly emotionless man in such a state. “Ssh. You’re okay, Javert,” he said gently. “Rest.” He attempted to pull the smaller man into a hug, but he weakly pushed him away. Valjean did not challenge this, and let go of him. Javert continued to sob until he fell back asleep. Valjean put a blanket over him and laid down. Both men slept until late into the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

     Javert found himself standing on the parapet once again, even more ready to die than the last time. He was trembling violently but he was not afraid. Rather than cast his eyes down to the River Seine that would soon swallow him, he looked up. He chose to spend what he was sure would be his final moments admiring the stars. In his youth, Javert had not wanted to be an officer of the law, but rather, an astronomer. As he grew older he realized that was not an option for someone like him, but he never ceased to appreciate the beautiful night sky.

     He took a deep breath. This time, he would be successful. There was no Valjean- damned Valjean- to take death from him now. He let himself fall off the railing, and he felt his heart drop into his stomach as it does with such a plunge. It felt like hours before he hit the water, but when he did-

  
     Javert jolted and his eyes opened when he felt someone shaking him awake. He blinked a few times before seeing who this person was. “Valjean?”

     “Would you like breakfast?” the older man offered.

     Javert looked confused for a moment. “Breakfast?” Valjean nodded. “Well, I suppose, sure.” Valjean offered him a hand to help him up, which the inspector stared at in confusion. Valjean sighed and dropped his hand. Javert stood up, and Valjean led him out to the kitchen.

     Sitting at the breakfast bar was a brunette who looked to be about 17. She seemed quite content as she drank a cup of tea, not noticing Valjean or Javert’s presence until Valjean spoke.

     "Good morning, Cosette,” he said. Cosette, Javert assumed, was the young woman’s name. But he didn’t know why she was in Valjean’s home. His brain immediately jumped to some unsavory speculation.

     The girl spun around to look at him. “Papa!” she chirped. Javert was internally relieved that he was mistaken. “Good morning.” She saw Javert. “Who is this?”

     “This is Inspector Javert, he’s a friend of mine,” Valjean explained to her.

     “I wasn’t aware you had any friends, Papa, I never see them.”

     Valjean chuckled and shrugged. “Javert, this is my daughter, Cosette.”

     Javert looked between Valjean and Cosette, searching for any kind of family resemblance, but he could not find one. “Pleasure to meet you, _mademoiselle_.”

     “Pleasure, _m’sieur_.” She looked between the inspector and her father and chuckled to herself, which Javert did not understand.

     Valjean smiled and went about fixing breakfast for the three of them. Javert sat at the breakfast bar with Cosette, and she talked to him.

     “Inspector? So you’re a police officer?” she asked, to which Javert nodded in reply. “That’s important work. Thank you.” Javert only shrugged.

     Valjean finished breakfast and put plates down for the two of them and himself, and they all ate. Valjean took the plates when they all finished and went to do the dishes, leaving Javert and Cosette alone once again. Javert watched Valjean walk away, and Cosette chuckled. He quickly turned to look at her. “What?”

     Cosette shook her head. “Nothing, nothing. I’m just glad my father isn’t so lonely now. We’ve never really had guests or anything before.” Javert didn’t know that, though, considering everything, it didn’t come as a surprise. “But I think you’ll be good for him, _monsieur l’inspecteur_ ,” she added with a grin.

     Javert furrowed his eyebrows, confused. “What? We’re only-“

     Cosette rolled her eyes at him. “Oh, there’s no need for that, it’s alright, you know. I’m happy for you two!” Javert opened his mouth to respond, but before he could explain that he and Valjean were mere acquaintances, the girl had skipped off to the garden.


End file.
